Universiti Teknologi MARA

Faculty : Faculty of chemical engineering

Course name : Geology and Drilling Laboratory
Course No : CGE558
Lab Title : Determination of Drilling Mud Densities (CO1,
PO3 & CO3, PO9)

Prepared by: SIGMA AKTER

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Drilling Mud: In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid is also called drilling mud, is used to aid the
drilling of boreholes into the earth. Often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on
exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also used for much simpler boreholes, such as water wells.
One of the functions of drilling mud is to carry cuttings out of the hole.

Drilling mud classification:

1. Water based muds (WBs), which can be dispersed and non-dispersed
2. Oil based muds (Obs), it is also called the non aqueous muds
3. Gaseous drilling fluids

Along with there formatives, these are used along with appropriate polymer and clay additives for
drilling various oil and gas formations.

Main functions:
The main functions of drilling fluids include providing hydrostatic pressure to prevent formation fluids
 from entering into the well bore, keeping the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, carrying out drill
cuttings, and suspending the drill cuttings while drilling is paused and when the drilling assembly is
brought in and out of the hole. The drilling fluid used for a particular job is selected to avoid 
formation damage and to limit corrosion.
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 Description of drilling fluids
1. Air: Compressed air is pumped either down the bore hole's annular space or down the drill string
 itself.
2. Air/water: The same as above, with water added to increase viscosity, flush the hole, provide more
cooling, and/or to control dust.
3. Air/polymer: A specially formulated chemical, most often referred to as a type of polymer, is added
to the water and air mixture to create specific conditions. A foaming agent is a good example of a 
polymer.
4. Water: Water by itself is sometimes used. In offshore drilling, seawater is typically used while drilling
the top section of the hole.
5. Water-based mud (WBM): Most basic water-based mud systems begin with water, then clays and
other chemicals are incorporated into the water to create a homogeneous blend resembling
something between chocolate milk and a malt (depending on viscosity). The clay is usually a
combination of native clays that are suspended in the fluid while drilling, or specific types of clay
that are processed and sold as additives for the WBM system. For example, bentonite, frequently
referred to in the oilfield as "gel." Gel likely makes reference to the fact that while the fluid is being
pumped, it can be very thin and free-flowing (like chocolate milk), though when pumping is stopped,
the static fluid builds a "gel" structure that resists flow. When an adequate pumping force is applied
to "break the gel," flow resumes and the fluid returns to its previously free-flowing state.
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 Description of drilling fluids
6. Oil-based mud (OBM): Oil-based mud is a mud where the base fluid is a petroleum product such
as diesel fuel. Oil-based muds are used for many reasons, including increased lubricity, enhanced
shale inhibition, and greater cleaning abilities with less viscosity. Oil-based muds also withstand
greater heat without breaking down. The use of oil-based muds has special considerations,
including cost, environmental considerations such as disposal of cuttings in an appropriate place,
and the exploratory disadvantages of using oil-based mud, especially in wildcat wells. Using an
oil-based mud interferes with the geochemical analysis of cuttings and cores and with the
determination of API gravity because the base fluid cannot be distinguished from oil that is
returned from the formation.

7. Synthetic-based fluid (SBM) (Otherwise known as Low Toxicity Oil Based Mud or LTOBM):
Synthetic-based fluid is a mud in which the base fluid is a synthetic oil. This is most often used on
offshore rigs because it has the properties of an oil-based mud, but the toxicity of the fluid fumes
are much less than an oil-based fluid. This is important when the drilling crew works with the
fluid in an enclosed space such as an offshore drilling rig. Synthetic-based fluid poses the same
environmental and analysis problems as oil-based fluid.

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 Drilling Fluids Function
• Most drilling muds are thixotropic (viscosity increase during static conditions). This characteristic
keeps the cuttings suspended when the mud is not flowing during, for example, maintenance.

• Fluids that have shear thinning and elevated viscosities are efficient for hole cleaning.

• Higher annular velocity improves cutting transport.

Transport ratio= (transport velocity / lowest annular velocity) should be at least 50%.

• High density fluids may clean holes adequately even with lower annular velocities (by increasing
the buoyancy force acting on cuttings). But may have a negative impact if mud weight is in excess
of that needed to balance the pressure of surrounding rock (formation pressure), so mud weight is
not usually increased for hole cleaning purposes.

• Higher rotary drill-string speeds introduce a circular component to annular flow path. This helical
flow around the drill-string causes drill cuttings near the wall, where poor hole cleaning conditions
occur, to move into higher transport regions of the annulus. Increased rotation is the one of the
best methods for increasing hole cleaning in high angle and horizontal wells.

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 Control formation pressures
If formation pressure increases, mud density should also be increased to balance pressure and keep
the wellbore stable. The most common weighting material is barite. Unbalanced formation
pressures will cause an unexpected influx (also known as a kick) of formation fluids in the wellbore
possibly leading to a blowout from pressured formation fluids.

Hydrostatic pressure = density of drilling fluid * true vertical depth * acceleration of gravity. If
hydrostatic pressure is greater than or equal to formation pressure, formation fluid will not flow into
the wellbore.

Well control means no uncontrollable flow of formation fluids into the wellbore.

Hydrostatic pressure also controls the stresses caused by tectonic forces, these may make wellbores
unstable even when formation fluid pressure is balanced.

If formation pressure is subnormal, air, gas, mist, stiff foam, or low density mud (oil base) can be
used. In practice, mud density should be limited to the minimum necessary for well control and
wellbore stability. If too great it may fracture the formation.

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 Drilling mud density

Density is a measurement of fluid weight per unit of volume. For drilling fluid (drilling mud) it is
referred to as “mud weight”. The mud densities are usually reported to the nearest 0.1 lbs/gal or
“ppg”. Mud density is monitored closely to fulfill the dual role of opposing formation pressures
while excessive lost returns to the formation.

Basically two types of equipment is used to determine the density off the drilling fluid. They are:

1. Hydrometer, which measures the specific gravity of the fluid and that is the ratio of density of
the fluid to the density of water.

2. Mud balance is the most easy and effective equipment for the determination of mud density,
because it directly gives the density of drilling mud.

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 Aim of experiment

1. To know how to use mud balance apparatus

2. To know the change in density after adding barite by using water.
3. To recalculate the density of the mud which is given.

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 Mud Balance Instrument

Density or weight of a given volume of liquid is determined by using

mud balance. The aim is graduated and permits accurate measurement
to with in +- 0.1 pounds per gallon or +- 0.01 specific gravity. The mud
balance is constructed so that the fixed volume cup at one end is
balance by a fixed counter weight at the opposite end, with a sliding
weight rider free to move along on the beam indicates when the
system is in balance.

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 Theory

The density of the drilling fluid must be controlled to provide adequate

hydrostatic head to prevent influx of formation fluid, but not so high as to coz
loss of circulation or adversely affect the drilling rate an damaging the
formation.
Normal pressure gradient by water is equal to (0.433 psi/ft ) and equal to 433
psi/1000 ft.
A mud balance, also known as a mud scale is a device used to measure the
density (weight) of drilling fluid, cement or any type of liquid or slurry.
There is no reliable visual method of determining the density of drilling mud,
the mud balance equipment is the most reliable and simple way to making the
determination

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 Apparatus of experiment
The instrument consist of a constant volume cup a lever arm and rider
calibrated to read directly the density of the fluid is PPG(water 8.33),
pcf (water 62.4), specific gravity (water =1) and pressure gradient is psi.

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 Calibration

1. Remove the lid from the cup, and completely fill the cup with water.
2. Replace the lid and wipe dry.
3. Replace the balance are on the base with knife edge resting on the
fulcrum.
4. The level via 1 should be centered when the rider set on 8.33 ppg. If
not, add to or remove short from the well in end of the beam.

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 Procedure

1. Remove the lid from the cup, completely fill the cup with the mud to be tested.
2. Replace the lid and rotate until firmly seated, making sure some muds expelled
through the hole in the cup.
3. Wash and wipe the mud from the outside of the cup.
4. Place the balance arm on the base, with the knife-edge resting on the fulcrum.
5. Move the rider until the graduated arm is level, as indicated by the level vial on the
beam.
6. Noted that the mud temperature corresponding to density.
7. After we are prepared bentonite mud we put in this mud berite( weight 25.8463
gm) and after that we are rerecorded the density of the new mud by mud balance.

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 Mud Preparation

V1W1+V2W2+…….=VfWf
V1+V2+……….=Vf
Where,
V1= volume of first material to be mixed
V2=volume of second material to be mixed
Vf=total volume of the mud
W1=density of the first material
W2=density of the second material

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 Pressure

Ph= MW x TVD x 0.052

Pr=0.433 x TVD
Pf= fracture gradient x TVD

Where,
Ph= mud hydrostatic pressure in psi
Pr= Reservoir pressure in psi
Pf= Fracture pressure in psi
TVD= true vertical depth in ft
MW= mud weight (density) in ppg
0.433 is fresh water pressure gradient in psi/ft

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 Pressures
To avoid the risk of kick ( blowout), hydrostatic pressure should be
greater than the formation pressure.
To avoid risk of formation fracturing (fluid losses), hydrostatic
pressure should be less than the fracture pressure.

Pr<Ph<Pf

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References

Cheraghian, Goshtasp; Wu, Qinglin; Mostofi, Masood; Li, Mei-Chun; Afrand, Masoud; S. Sangwai,
Jitendra (October 2018). “Effet of a novel clay/silica nanocomposite on water-based drilling fluids:
Improvements in rheological and filtration properties”. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and
Engineering aspects. 555: 339-350.

Petroleum Engineering Handbook, Volume II: Drilling Engineering. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
2007.pp.90-95.

www.scribd.com/mud balance experiment

https://www.google.iq/#q=introduction+to+mud+density.

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